Slow and steady really does win the race - especially when clowns are involved.
Just ask the producers of Broadway's The Play That Goes Wrong. After 17 months of performances, it has finally recouped its initial capitalization. The slapstick comedy cost $4 million to mount, and outlasted all of its competitors to become the Main Stem's current longest-running play.
It had already traveled a long road before navigating Broadway's fickle financial ecosystem. Incubated by Mischief Theatre, a young group of British actors, The Play toured the U.K. before opening on London's West End in 2014, where it won the Olivier for Best New Comedy.
There, it caught the eye of two heavy hitters: veteran Broadway producer Kevin McCollum (Rent, Avenue Q) and Star Wars braintrust J.J. Abrams, who decided to make his Broadway debut on the producing team. Alongside London producer Kenny Wax, they transferred the production with its original cast to New York last spring.
Reviews were good-not-great, and it was only nominated for a single Tony Award, for its set design (which it did win). But the show cornered its market, accurately billing itself as the only family-friendly comedy on Broadway for over a year. It was also cheap to run, with weekly costs coming in well under $300,000, according to the producers.
As a result, it's made money almost every week since opening. It's a testament to smart marketing, and recognizing that good entrepreneurship doesn't require expensive stunts or marquee names - just a solid product.
The Play That Goes Wrong will launch a North American tour next month before concluding its Broadway run in January.
(On a personal note, I'd like to extend public congratulations to the Mischief Theatre team. I attended drama school with some of the company members, and while I've all but headed backstage in the years since, it's beyond heartening to see such talented clowns get their due.)
